Cape Codder charged with 7 rapes
A grand jury indicted a Cape Cod man on charges of raping and sexually abusing seven women.
Barry Viprino, 43, of Harwich, was arrested last November and arraigned in Orleans District Court on 11 counts of rape and related charges accusing him of raping three women. With yesterday’s indictment, his case has been boosted to Barnstable Superior Court and the number of alleged victims has increased to seven.
Viprino is now indicted on the following charges: 19 counts of rape, one count of aggravated rape, five counts of indecent assault and battery on a person over 14, one count of kidnapping, two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, two counts of intimidation of a witness, one count of possessing a large capacity firearm, and 15 counts of possessing a large capacity feeding device. The Cape Cod Chronicle reports that this is not the first time Viprino has faced rape allegations. According to that outlet, Viprino was tried for and acquitted of a rape charge in 2022. A connected restraining order filed by the alleged victim in that case expired in 2017 and that record prevented him from gaining a legal license to carry a firearm.
A woman police called Victim 1 came to Harwich police in August 2023 with allegations that Viprino had raped her in his garage, which he also used as a home office.
As the Herald reported at the time, the woman told police that she had met him there and then he locked the door, pulled up his shirt to reveal a gun and then told her to take off her clothes and get on the couch, where he proceeded to assault her.
Victim 2 had a similar story for the police. She said that he also demanded that she sell vape pods to her underage friends and that if she didn’t sell enough of them, she would be punished with further rapes.
A third victim mentioned at the time of the initial charges appeared to be an acquaintance of Victim 2 as she reported being raped both in the garage and at Victim 2’s house.
The Cape and Islands District Attorney’s statement announcing the indictment did not provide details on the additional four alleged victims.